LAKERS INSIDE LOOK: SLOW STARTS REQUIRE IMMEDIATE SOLUTION, LAKERS SAY.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Seems the Lakers know no other way to operate these days.

The two-time defending NBA champions have developed the seemingly unshakable habit of relinquishing a gargantuan lead to the Sacramento Kings.

But heck, without this newfound penchant for daunting deficits, there wouldn't be these types of exhilarating finishes, either.

The Lakers rallied from another colossal deficit - this time it came in the form of a 24-point hole - on Sunday. Robert Horry nailed a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to give the Lakers a 100-99 victory over the Kings at Staples Center to even the Western Conference finals at 2-2.

The Lakers don't know how it happens. But they do know how they're able to recover.

``It's just that confidence that we've done it time and time again,'' Lakers forward Devean George said. ``We can't rely on it too much. Once in a while is good. We can't rely on it night in and night out, just digging ourselves a hole and getting out of it. We need to save it for key times.''

Down 40-20 after the first quarter, the Lakers outscored the Kings 80-59 the rest of the way. The Lakers employed the same game plan Friday - spotting the Kings a 27-point lead - and lost 103-90 after a furious fourth-quarter rally. They did it Sunday and pulled out a miraculous victory.

``It's got to be tough on their part,'' Lakers forward Samaki Walker said. ``They go up (24) points on us. We fought back and came back. It shows the will and the fight this team has, regardless of what people say.

``We're here. We're ready.''

Well, usually not until the second quarter.

Even the Lakers can't survive forever with this strategy. Much of the season, the Lakers were accused of being bored and playing to an opponent. But the NBA playoffs? The conference finals?

``Both games we got into a hole too big to expect to win,'' guard Derek Fisher said.

But win they did. And now the Lakers head back to Arco Arena for Game 5 on Tuesday. That's where they'll try to erase this tendency to snooze through the first quarter.

``No coach enjoys spotting a team 20 points at this time of year,'' Rick Fox said.

Not that it was entirely the Lakers' fault. The Kings had a lot to do with the big lead as they shot 71 percent from the field in the first quarter, making 15 of 21 shots. They shot 48.7 percent for the game.

It made for quite an exciting finish, albeit one the Lakers would rather avoid.

``It's a riddle we have to solve,'' Brian Shaw said.